


Stuck in the Past

by orphan_account



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Aston Martins, Bisexual Male Character, Egyptology, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, M/M, They are all either in college or well out of college, What are emotions?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-19 23:28:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11908446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: That was not what Kaiba had been expecting when he picked Mokuba up from the Student Rec Center.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guess what I shouldn't be doing? Starting this. Guess what I'm doing? Starting this. Just saying, I altered the ages quite a bit. Plus, let's just say a lot of the stuff to do with Atem is still in his tomb. Also I like to imagine that Yuugi FINALLY hits puberty and literally looks exactly like Yami but with a little more gentle air about him.
> 
> This is the sex on wheels car Kaiba drives:
> 
> https://global.astonmartin.com/en-us/models/rapide-s

Seto Kaiba did not admit to his emotions. That was not something the CEO of Kaiba Corps did. Even after all these years; even after he just had his 31st birthday, he did not admit to it. It was just something that had been engrained into his head after all this time. After his childhood and all the crazy shit that happened to him in high school; could you really blame him? Of course, people told him he has gotten better at showing his true self to the world. Well…Mokuba has told him he has gotten better. Perhaps he should not be selling himself so short though. It was in fact Mokuba and Yuugi. The two were like the only bright lights in his life still. Not that he would ever tell that to anyone.

With Mokuba working to get his Masters in French and Roman Philology, something that Kaiba allowed because it was Mokuba, the younger brother was often out of the office. When Mokuba turned 21, he took a major position within the company and now owned a large portion of the shares. Of course not nearly as much as Kaiba, but that was beside the point. Kaiba commanded Mokuba to not take nearly as many hours as he had in the past when he started his degree. Since Kaiba was easily paying for Mokuba’s schooling, he was not about to have it go to waste. And he just wanted Mokuba to succeed and would do anything to accomplish that. 

Because of Mokuba was spending most of his time with his studies, Kaiba needed more executive help within the company. Considering Yuugi was far more intelligent then he let on in high school and had quite a few ideas about gaming upon other things, Kaiba recruited the King of Games. Now Yuugi worked, more often than not, directly in Kaiba’s personal office at the KC building. Over the years, after he graduated from high school and college, Kaiba started to change what KC did. While they still dealt quite heavily in Duel Monsters and other video games, Kaiba decided to spread their reach. He now was working in philanthropic endeavors among other things like computer tech and even food growth. It was just growing with Kaiba it seemed, since the still young CEO pretty much all but retired from his dueling career. Of course he and Yuugi would duel each other for charity or Kaiba would join his own tournament occasionally, but it was mainly in his past now. 

“Seto?” Even after all these years hearing Yuugi call him by his first name was slightly jarring. It only became more so when Yuugi apparently finally hit puberty. It was about half way through college when Yuugi shot up a couple of inches and his voice dropped. As much as Kaiba tried to deny it, Yuugi looked exactly like Atem. The CEO came to grips with all the magic and sorcery when the two of them had to deal with Aigami. Now, Yuugi looked the spitting image of when Atem would take over his body; Yuugi’s eyes just being a little softer and more inviting. Seeing and hearing Yuugi call to him, be nice in that body; it always threw Kaiba off just a bit. 

He looked up from his computer, glancing over at the other male in his office. In the setting sun, Yuugi’s hair looked far wilder than usual; though his eyes still held such softness.

“Yes?”

“I just got a text from Mokuba. Says he needs a ride back to the mansion.” And that meant it was also time to call it quits for the day. That was another thing that had changed drastically over the years. Kaiba was no longer a workaholic. Or, well, a severe ‘I can go days without food or water’ workaholic. It was his body that would not allow him to live off of coffee any longer. With age came eating right apparently. Yet it seemed as though Yuugi did not have that problem. He could still eat like a baby bird and go for days. Perhaps it was just because of his size. That’s what Kaiba told himself. 

Kaiba then went about getting ready to leave. He shut down his computer and the other systems he had running in his office. Yuugi did the same, closing the laptop he had been working on and shuffling it into his bag. More often than not, Kaiba would drop Yuugi of at his apartment by the bay. Of course Kaiba bought the thing and paid for it. He also was no idiot. He understood how it looked and sounded to Yuugi and the friends that still followed the smaller male around like lost puppies. And to be honest, Kaiba did not really care. If they wanted to think that Kaiba cared that way for Yuugi, then let them at it. It was not like he hated the King of Games. Quite the opposite actually. But Kaiba was far more attracted to someone’s mind than someone’s body. He could appreciate a good looking person, but was more interested in what came out of their mouths. It just so happened that he enjoyed Yuugi’s company; perhaps on par with Mokuba.

“You ready Seto?” Yuugi asked in his bizarre deep voice. Kaiba blinked for a moment before putting on his coat. Just as the company outgrew Duel Monsters for the most part, so did his attire. Kaiba wore suits more often than long trench coats. The two men walked out of the office and into the elevators. Sometimes Kaiba did feel like an old man, leaving before his assistant, but it could not be helped. Not when Mokuba was involved. So the two of them got onto the car and he pressed the button that took him straight to the garage. Since it was a Monday, Kaiba drove himself. He was allowed that, Mondays and Fridays. Mokuba always was driven by someone else though he did have his license. That was just for safety reasons though. 

They walked through the quiet garage and came upon Kaiba’s Aston Martin Rapide S model. The thing was gorgeous; a shiny white with a touch of blue accents that were almost unnoticeable. But Yuugi had ridden in the car enough to know they were there. “Where is he on campus?” Kaiba asked while pulling out of the garage. This was his favorite car. While it was stunning and expensive, it was subtle and subdued. Mokuba often went for the more recognizable in Kaiba’s collection. His little brother’s favorites were the Ferraris and the Corvettes. While expensive and flashy, they were cheaper than the few Aston Martin’s Kaiba had. Easier to replace that way. Yuugi glanced down at that text that Mokuba had sent him. 

Kaiba could not watch for a couple of reasons. One obviously being he had to watch the road. The other was that he was still not used to pretty much seeing Atem use a phone. The Pharaoh had been clueless about electronics. But of course this was not the Pharaoh. This was Yuugi; Kaiba’s partner for all intents and purposes. “He says he is at the gym. I will type it in.” Yuugi said, reaching over and pressing in the address to the GPS system. It was a good thing as well. Kaiba had been all over that campus but never set foot, or tire, near the gym. It made him wonder what Mokuba was doing there. It was not like his little brother was an athlete. He could barely keep up with Kaiba in the gym and the man was eight years older than him. 

He drove the two of them through the city’s streets and onto the campus property. Before long, they rolled to a stop in front of a newly renovated building that had ‘Student Recreation Center’ blazoned over the front door. Kaiba was about to pull out his own phone and call his brother, but the black haired male quickly bound out of the door and sprinted over to the car. He was sweating still, presumably waiting to get home to shower. He was also wearing a set of workout clothes that Kaiba had never laid eyes on. What in the world was his little brother doing?

Which is exactly what he asked him right when Mokuba jumped into the back seat. Said questioned young man blinked before smiling. “Just working out.”

“We have a home gym for that. We also have a gym at the office. I have a private one actually.” It was true. There was more than enough space for Mokuba if he wanted to work out. Hell, he could go running on the Kaiba property if it suited him. Why was he going to the student rec center on campus?

“Well, it is paid for as a part of the tuition. I just thought I might as well use it.” Kaiba could see the sense in that. He nodded before flicking his blinker on and pulling away from the curb. But he was still confused. 

“We have better facilities.”

“They have trainers Seto.” His name from Mokuba’s mouth was a little more comfortable and normal than from Yuugi’s. He was getting used to it, but he still enjoyed Mokuba saying his name better. 

“We have world renowned trainers. If you do not find one you enjoy, I will get one for you.” There had to be a reason why Mokuba was going to the student rec center and Kaiba was going to find out why. His brother had never been very good at keeping a secret. 

But to Kaiba’s surprise, it just took one quick look from Yuugi, a soft smile, and Mokuba was spilling the beans. “Ok,” Mokuba started, speaking to the car but looking directly at Yuugi. These were the moments where Kaiba was extra thankful for Yuugi. Mokuba never had a father. Kaiba always had to play that role as well as the role of older brother. Yuugi was playing multiple roles with Mokuba as well; one of which being a father. “So I was in the library, of course studying. I was looking through some of the older Egyptian literature since they had a lot of dealings with the Roman Empire.” That got both Yuugi and Kaiba’s attention. Even after all these years, they were still undoubtedly connected to the ancient land. 

“It just so happened that there were more people in the Egyptian section then there usually is. And by that I mean there was one person. It’s not that popular at the library which is a bummer considering how interesting it is. Either way, this chick that was there was gorgeous.” Mokuba was always more up front about his attractions. Kaiba realized that Mokuba was bisexual when one week he found him ‘macking’ on a nice young woman and the next was doing the same thing but with a handsome young man. “Older than me by two years so that was kind of a bummer. Not really into older women. But either way, it ends up that she got the same degree I’m working on.”

“What was she doing in the Egyptian section?” Yuugi asked. Kaiba had already passed the exit that would take them to Yuugi’s apartment. He might as well have dinner with the brothers. It seemed as though Mokuba’s little story would take that long. 

“Well,” Mokuba started up again with a wicked little glint in his eyes. “It just so happens that she is getting her PhD in Egyptology.” Now the two older men were completely riveted. PhD in Egyptology. Both knew quite a bit about the country and the past that it entails, but nothing to the extent that a PhD would know. “So obviously I went up and started talking to her, seeing what she was working on. We ended up talking for quite some time; enough to where she said she would help me if I ever needed more studying.” Kaiba had been driving on autopilot apparently because he barely realized he parked in front of the mansion. The three exited the car and walked up the steps to the front door where one of the butlers greeted them. Before Mokuba could finish his little tale, Kaiba commanded him to take a shower and get ready for dinner; which his younger brother did like a bolt of lightening. It was like he and Yuugi just got their glasses of wine and sat at the table when Mokuba was already back down dressed in lounging clothes.

“Now where was I?”

“You were talking about the woman you met in the library.”

“And how that connected to the rec center.” Kaiba could not hold back the ‘angry teen CEO’ tone that lifted into his voice. Mokuba ignored it though and just continued as their food was brought out.

“Oh yeah! So she said she would help me study when I needed in. It just so happens that she is also the Krav Maga teacher on campus. Like, she is the real deal; kicks my ass every time I go in. I’ll beat her one day though.” Ah so that explained it. Mokuba finally stopped speaking and started to eat the steak in front of him. Yuugi was eating his usual salad when they ate meat. Kaiba did not know Yuugi was a vegetarian until he started to work for him. 

So Mokuba had the hots for a Krav Maga teacher? Well that was not what Kaiba had been expecting. He was not complaining of course. If Mokuba did not sign himself up for some sort of self-defense course, Kaiba would have done it for him. The younger Kaiba did not get kidnapped any longer, but that did not change the fact he needed to learn how to defend himself. “She is also American? That’s pretty cool.”

“Yep! A military vet. She is so bad ass.” The way Mokuba spoke of this woman had Kaiba a little confused. There was hints of attraction in his tone that were then covered by hints of awe and inspiration. He was obviously quite enamored with her either way, whether that be romantic or not. Mokuba knew, or at least should expect, that KC had Krav Maga teachers. They had all sorts of self-defense teachers. 

Kaiba was not so sure how he felt about these turn of events.

~’~

Even though she had been to the Middle East before, she had never been to Egypt; even with her degree. It just never happened. Yet now, here she was; standing in the Valley of Kings with the sun beating down upon her. Luckily she was wearing all sorts of different sun protection and a large hat to cover most of her. 

“I’m happy to have you with us. You gave us quite a fright when you said you could not come at first.” Her professor Andrew Maxfield, a 57 year old Italian man, stood next to her. There were a handful of others unloading their jeep behind them. It took about three hours to drive out and find the tomb they had been looking for, but finally they were there.

“Hey it scared me to! Thankfully my brother was able to loan me. His lawyer money can come in handy sometimes.” She laughed before turning and grabbing a crate of equipment. Now as just the long haul of carrying everything inside. Or, at least, into the shade of the outcropping over the tombs entrance. While the tomb had been spotted before, very few had actually gone in and searched. Now it was her time to shine considering this was one of her final solo projects. Solo being she did the research. The others were more of assistants than anything else. 

Professor Maxfield grabbed his own things and followed after her. It did not take all of them too long to have all the equipment hauled over. Once they were ready, she grabbed a notepad, pencil, and the other things she needed on hand and stuffed them into her backpack before setting off inside. 

As she was expecting, it was damper in the tomb than it was outside of it. It was mainly because of how the thing had been covered, kept underground for so long. The four undergrad helpers all had lamps and flashlights as well as backpacks of equipment. Maxfield made up the tail end with a flashlight of his own. When they got to the main tomb room, everyone sat down their packs. “It’s incredible.” Was all she could say.

Because it was exactly that. The carvings were perfect, untouched to the elements. What was even more breathtaking were the paintings. While still in the ancient Egyptian style, they were still so vibrant. Everyone started to walk around, inspecting things and taking notes at the same time. She herself walked over and spotted a larger mural. She saw the Nile and giant white lilies; but also darker images, some of skulls that were both animal and man. The contrast was startling. Her eyes trailed up and spotted the male in the image. It had to be him, the unnamed Pharaoh. So elusive to everyone that has ever studied him, most of his name had been smudged off the tablet that held his name. Her hand hovered over said markings. A part of her higher academic experience was reading ancient Egyptian text. It was beautiful, and incomplete right in front of her. 

“You.” She groaned at the painting, flipping open her notepad and jotting down about the colors and shapes; as well as the lilies and skulls. He was handsome, this Pharaoh was. Apparently he had died young at the age of 25; how old she was. What a bummer that had to have been. But he’d been protecting his people in some epic battle of good and evil so perhaps dying such a beautiful death would not have been so bad. Though the painting was handsome, it probably did not do him justice. Not with the visage or the coloring. 

Well, perhaps with the coloring. That was something spoken about most of this unnamed Pharaoh. His eyes and hair were apparently blessed by the gods. It was wild and vibrant. Her eyes caught his wine colored ones for just a brief moment more before she called for one of the undergrads. It was a young woman who skittered over and stopped at her side. She asked for her yellow spiral which was quickly placed in her hands.

This was it. This was what most of her studying had been for. This was what she published all those peer reviewed and checked articles for. 

The Nameless, young, and handsome Pharaoh would be nameless no longer. She, as much as she wanted to deny it, had fallen in love with him. It was kind of goofy, she knew that. To fall in love with someone dead for millennia was what love sick librarians did, not Egyptologist. But here she was, staring at the mural with her chest about to burst with butterflies. God how she wished she could just morph through the wall, morph through time and get back there. What she was staring at in her journal would have to do. 

Everyone continued to look around and take notes behind her as she knelt in front of the stone tablet. Holding the notebook page up, she looked; stared as though it would appear on the tablet and she would not have to do anything. But of course that would not happen.

So she ripped the piece of paper out of the spiral and placed it gently overtop the tablet. Once she lined it up, she took a dull pencil from her back pocket. The incredibly soft graphite pressed against the paper for a moment and her heart almost shattered. It felt like she wouldn’t be able to find the small ridge she had been speculating was there. But with just another simple push, she knew it was there. She actually did feel tears form at the corner of her eyes as she traced the name onto the piece of paper. Everyone had always thought the name had been worn off, but it was just in the wrong place. What had been rubbed off was a different part of the sentence explaining whose tomb this was. Now, in her hands, she held the name so many had been looking for before her.

“It’s nice to meet you Pharaoh Atem.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba is an old man that doesn't know what to do about his feelings and our lovely reader has a little star crush. Notes at the end.

The next time that Mokuba asks to be picked up from campus, Yuugi is with his friends. It was Yuugi’s day off so Joey, Trisitan, and Tea all dragged him out to eat. Alone in his office, Kaiba could admit that he was mad he let Yuugi go. His possessive streak has always been about a hundred miles long. So he really did not feel bad about keeping Yuugi to himself all the time. There was also something else he could admit alone in his office.

Kaiba was lonely. Yes he had Yuugi; and by default that meant he had Yuugi’s friends. They had all grown closer over the years, but….there was just something missing. Kaiba had given up a long time ago on making an heir to the Kaiba name. If he just absolutely had to, then he could adopt; or Mokuba could come through and have a kid. But it just was not a viable option for him anymore. Well, not something that he was clambering to get done. Now, he just wanted someone to be with. He just wanted someone to talk to late at night. 

Mokuba’s text to come and pick him up brought him out of his self-pitying thoughts, causing Kaiba to rub his face with his hands. It was the Friday after his little discovery about Mokuba, so once again he was driving. To please Mokuba, Kaiba brought the Ferrari. He had just bought it a couple of weeks prior, being the 2018 Portofino. Of course he had not allowed Mokuba to drive it yet, but his brother would appreciate it none the less. 

As Kaiba took the elevator down, he checked the address again. It was then, when the elevator dinged telling him he was at the garage that he realized he was hoping he would see the student rec center address. However, he saw the familiar library address. “Geez.” Kaiba muttered to himself. He was just wondering about this woman for Mokuba’s sake. He wanted to know who she was because Mokuba was so interested in her and Kaiba could not tell if it was romantically or platonically. 

Shaking his head, Kaiba got into his car and pulled out of the garage. The sun was setting on the city, just like it had been that Monday; though it was a little later. The colors were far more orange than they had been. It took less time to get there as well since everyone had already gotten home from work. 

When Kaiba pulled up in front of the library, Mokuba was already walking down the steps. He opened the back door, chucking his back pack in before getting into the passenger seat. Kaiba just watched Mokuba as he put his seat belt on in complete silence. Nothing seemed wrong. He looked like his usually happy self. It stayed quiet until Kaiba pulled off the campus property. “No Krav Maga today?” He finally asked. His curiosity was getting the better of him. 

The infuriating little smile curled onto Mokuba’s lips as they drove towards the mansion. “Oh? I’m kind of wondering why you are wondering.” When that got a pointed look from Kaiba, the younger brother just giggled before giving him what he wanted. “She is in Egypt. She was finishing up one of her last projects. I believe this is what is going to get her that doctorate.” 

Well that was interesting. And good. Very good. Kaiba was glad that his little brother was associating himself with intelligent people. It would not do if he was hanging out with people like Wheeler. Kaiba hummed before flicking his blinker on to take the exit towards the home. 

When he parked at the front door, Mokuba was the first to get out as per usual. He grabbed his pack and quickly made his way up the steps, busting through the doors before the butler could open them. Kaiba was slow to follow, but follow he did. 

Dinner was far quieter without Yuugi. Mokuba did chatter like he usually did, but the extra voice was missed. The entire weekend went that way. Apparently Yuugi was being dragged around with his three followers on an “old friends” weekend. It left Kaiba alone and quiet. Mokuba studied and worked out; but that was about it.

Monday finally came around and Yuugi was in Kaiba’s office before he was. He smiled up at him when he walked in. “Good morning Seto. I hope your weekend went well.” He just grunted in affirmation that he heard Yuugi before going and sitting in his chair. God he really needed to get a hobby outside of work. Collecting cars was fun, but perhaps he needed to do something else. The thought of Mokuba doing Krav Maga passed through him.

Work went by quickly and before he knew it, Mokuba texted Yuugi to come to campus. Seto hated the elation in his chest when he realized they would be going to the student rec center. While they drove over, Mokuba apparently texted Yuugi again and explained that they could just come in and wait until he was finished. Right away, Kaiba knew Mokuba was up to something, but did not comment on it. Instead, he parked and he and Yuugi walked in. They were directed towards the room where Krav Maga classes were held and Kaiba actually felt butterflies form in his stomach. Gods how old was he? 15? 

They walked into a room that actually looked a lot like a mini wrestling arena. There was a lower area where the actual mats were. Around said lowered platform were bleachers. It was a well-built room. Actually the entire building was well built and newer. But that was to be expected considering it was one of the best schools in the country. “Oh there he is.” Yuugi said beside him. Kaiba followed him down the steps to about the middle of the bleachers. While Yuugi sat, Kaiba stood beside him, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Mokuba; before his eyes slid to his opponent.

Shit.

She was really good looking. It was rather obvious that she was American considering her height. While she was not as tall as Kaiba, she was taller than both Mokuba and Yuugi. Her hips were full as well as her shoulders; show casing her athletic build. Kaiba could tell that she was a veteran. There was just something about the ferocity she held in her eyes as she ducked and bobbed away from Mokuba’s swings. She made him look like a child trying to fight a professional boxer. Though that was partially what it was. Her hair was tied up in a tight pony tail and she wore boxing shorts with a sports bra. 

“She is good.” Yuugi said to him, a smile evident in his voice. She and Mokuba continued to trade blows. For a moment, Kaiba thought that she would overtake Mokuba. However he noticed that she caught sight of the two new people in the room. A brief glance was spared at Kaiba before her eyes flickered over to Yuugi and she froze. 

A horrible rip of jealousy shot through Kaiba. But it was quickly replaced with shock when Mokuba landed a hard kick right to the side of her head; since she was completely distracted by the sight of Yuugi, and she collapsed out cold onto the mat. 

~’~

Slowly she came to, almost expecting to be back in the tomb of Pharaoh Atem. There were muffled voices above her and she could only make out a couple words. Mokuba was definitely there though. She could recognize his voice rather easily now. The medic that was stationed at the rec center was there as well. However, two voices were foreign to her. 

Finally, she was able to open her eyes. Everything was blurry at first. When things came into focus, she thought she was dreaming. That had to be the only explanation. That or…

“Am I still in Egypt? But why would you be here Mokuba? Maybe I just passed out from the heat and I’m in the hospital. Well this is a nice dream none the less.” She said with a laugh in her voice while rubbing her face with her hand. The medic helped her sit up and said a few more things t her before heading back to his own room; deeming Mokuba and the two men competent enough to help her. 

“No. You are on campus. Why?” They all had confused expressions while staring at her. Even Pharaoh Atem. But…Wait.

“Because I’m in the presence of Pharaoh Atem. Or this is some really strange joke.” She said, pinching herself and making sure she was in fact awake. Now “Atem” looked shocked; as well as the brunette squatting down next to him. 

Not wanting to be on the mat any longer, Mokuba helped her up so they were all standing.

“Mokuba.” The handsome brunette bit out. 

“Hey! I did not tell her the Pharaoh’s name! I suspect that it was probably the project she went to Egypt for.”

“Ok I’m sorry. Back up for a moment,” She interject, way too out of the loop. The three men all looked at her, watching as she rubbed her face and flinched when she pressed too hard on the bruise that was forming from Mokuba’s kick. “How about we start over since you three obviously know each other and I only know Mokuba.” Putting out her hand, she introduced herself to the two newcomers.

Mokuba was actually the first to speak. “Sorry, I did not even think about it. This is Seto Kaiba my brother,” She grabbed and shook his hand. “And this is Yuugi Mutuo.” Well she definitely knew about both of them. For some reason she never put two and two together when meeting Mokuba. Of course the younger male had told her his whole name. But it just never clicked he was THE Seto Kaiba’s younger brother. And Yuugi. Her eyes flicked over to him for a moment. Rarely was there a person that had not heard of the “King of Games”. But could you blame her? He looked so much like Pharaoh Atem, and she had just been in Egypt; inside the Pharaoh’s tomb.

“I’m sorry that I was startled. You look so much like Pharaoh Atem that I did not know what to do.”

They were all acting so shifty about her saying the Pharaoh’s name. What in the world was going on? “May I ask how you found out that name?” Right when she got back from Egypt, she published her findings. It would not have surprised her if they were able to read it alright; especially Kaiba considering he probably owned the school with how much money he had. 

“Ugh yeah. It’s my last project before I graduate. It was all about Pharaoh Atem, well the Nameless Pharaoh before now, but I mainly went searching for his name.” Her eyes could not be peeled away from Yuugi who actually started to blush from the attention he was receiving. “Would you be related to him by any chance? It is uncanny how similar the two of you look. Like, almost unthinkable.” Yuugi could be Atem’s twin brother in the modern age. But Yuugi just shook his head. 

“Ah no.” A laugh followed. All the while, Mokuba’s older brother Seto was watching the events unfold. How she could not look away from Yuugi, he had not looked away from her. She just was not uncomfortable with it. 

“Well I think that is enough for today. I may not be able to do another session for a while. You really kicked the shit out of my head.” She laughed while clapping Mokuba on the back. The air in there was getting kind of awkward. Might as well and take her exit. “I will see you later Mokuba. Remember to call me if you need help on anything. And it was nice to meet you two.” She said, rushing out of the door while all three men watched her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are wondering why they were all being so awkward about her knowing Atem's name, it's because my headcanon is that they never told anyone and kind of agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone. Yuugi and Kaiba think that Mokuba told her, forgetting that she is getting her PhD in Egyptology. So now they are trying to figure out what to really do about it, though Kaiba has some ideas.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaiba is a Game of Thrones fan.

“You are never going to believe what came in the mail today.” Reina said. She had just walked out of the Krav Maga room, sweat still dripping from her temples. She was going to just shower at home, but it seemed as though she would have some business to attend to first. Reina was a little bit older than her, around 30 years old. They were in the same unit though. Both of them ended up at the school, Reina working while she got her degree. She jogged over to the receptionist desk where Reina sat fiddling with a piece of paper. The rectangular piece of paper was held out to her between Reina’s scarred fingers. Once she took it, she knew exactly what it was.

A check sat in her hands. A check for an amount of money that nearly made her dizzy.

“This can’t be real.” She said to really anyone. It was more just her body reacting to the amount of money that could be sitting in her hands. Reina laughed and leaned back in her chair while crossing her arms over her chest.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go and find out with me. I was about to head to the bank. You up for it?” As much as she doubted the legitimacy of the check, she really wanted to see. It was for the Student Rec Center, written right there on the line. What made her doubt if it was real or not, aside from the amount, was the signature on the line. 

“Khal Drago.” She muttered in disbelief as she and Reina went in their separate cars to the bank. “Somebody is obviously going a length to hide their identity.” Or there really was someone that was named Khal Drago and they were giving the student rec center a stupid amount of money. Either way, they parked at the local bank the rec center dealt with. Walking in together, she grabbed the check from Reina again and flipped it over. As she had been speculating while driving, there was a dragon on the back. It was a beautiful thing, with almost shimmery white scales. Kind of made her want to watch Game of Thrones over again.

When the banker took the check from them, she stopped. It looked as like she wasn’t going to accept it, thinking it was fake. Well, it looked like it, especially with that amount of money. But she and Reina just shrugged and the banker did the same, starting to process the check. 

To everyone’s shock, the check did not bounce. The new account balance flashed on the little screen for her and Reina and the older woman busted out into laughter. “Well whoever sent this sure is generous. We can probably remodel the place and buy new equipment for the entire gym!” Reina was happy, and so was she. But she could not help but wonder who the hell sent that check.

~’~

“You know, I was telling the truth when I said I did not tell her about Atem’s name.” Mokuba started. He was spending the day in the office with his older brother and Yuugi. The two of them stopped typing on their computers and glanced up. He knew Yuugi believed him. Yuugi tried to see the best in everyone, whether that be about something that made him upset or not. Seto, on the other hand, would be a tougher nut to crack. 

“We understand.” Yuugi said. Even Mokuba was still a little unsettled by Yuugi’s voice. He was so used to it sounding like that when Atem was possessing Yuugi’s body. Though that had only lasted a handful of years, it was still a chaotic few that stuck with the younger Kaiba. 

The older Kaiba brother shot Yuugi a look before looking back towards his brother. “It is simply suspicious that she knew of Atem’s name right when Yuugi met her.” 

“Like she said it was a part of her project!” Mokuba shot, defending her. And well, Kaiba knew that he was fighting a losing battle. With Mokuba telling him she was getting her doctorate in Egyptology, discovering Atem’s name was not that far-fetched. It was simply his skeptical nature that was keeping him from relenting. 

Which would quickly shatter with the way Yuugi was looking at him. Kaiba had never really gotten over Atem’s departure and Yuugi’s appearance was disturbingly similar to the Pharaoh’s. “Maybe it is finally time the world finds out the name of the Nameless Pharaoh.” Yuugi said with a smile, his voice nearly sounding like his high school self in that moment. Kaiba had to look away for a multitude of reasons.

Alright. So he had been holding onto and keeping Atem’s name secret because… because he was selfish. It was one of the last things he had of the Pharaoh, aside from Yuugi himself. If he had Atem’s name, then he could keep the Pharaoh to himself. But…but maybe Yuugi was right. Maybe it was time to let Atem be shown to the world. Maybe his beauty and glory could be put on full display. Atem deserved to be seen once again.

It hurt and bit at the back of his throat, but he nodded and assented to it; allowing that little bit of Atem to slip through his fingers. 

But perhaps she deserved it, deserved the celebrity of “discovering” Atem’s name. It wasn’t like they really did any work. She was the one that spent years of her life doing the research. She should be the one to get the accolades. They had a special connection with the “Nameless Pharaoh” after all. And that was a special connection you couldn’t exactly replicate twice. 

~’~

“Oh my god!” She heard as she walked into Professor Maxfield’s office. It was one of her off days where she was not teaching Krav Maga. Of course those were few and far between now a days though. A Doctorate was the complete opposite of cheap. That was why she only took maybe a day off every few weeks. And in those days off, she was working on her ‘Atem’ project. She really did feel so foolish, all the times she caught herself staring wistfully at the pictures she took of Atem’s appearance. 

Yet now she had something else to stare at. Well, to her, it was another version of Atem. Yuugi Mutou. It could not be a coincidence that he and Atem looked so similar, like they could be twin brothers if not for the skin tone. Right when she got back from the gym the day she met Yuugi and Seto, she looked up both of them. First was Yuugi simply because she was so excited. Seeing images of Yuugi was like seeing images of Atem, something that would be impossible in normal circumstances. 

He was far more famous than she first realized. The King of Games, he won every Duel Monsters tournament he entered. Yet very few walked away feeling dejected about their loss. There was not a single negative thing written about Yuugi Mutou; not when he was in high school and not now either. He apparently worked with Seto Kaiba on a handful of different things at Kaiba Corps. 

She was not going to tell anyone, not even her siblings or Mokuba, that she saved an old picture of Yuugi. He was about 18 in it; just out of high school. He looked like he was just about to hit puberty since his face was thinning out and his legs were just beginning to grow. But it was because he looked so much like Atem! It’s what Atem would look like at Atem! 

Then there was Seto Kaiba. Mokuba rarely talked about his brother, if he did at all. He just would say that he had one. 

And while she knew that Mokuba was wealthy, she had no idea to what extent. On the Forbes billionaire list almost every year, Kaiba had to have more money than the Catholic church. Kaiba Crops recent expansions into different fields would explain the vast amount of money though. She had heard in passing about Kaiba when she was younger, more at the age ripe age for Duel Monsters; though she was not one to play. Now his company was working on practically everything. Well, everything but weapons. Kaiba Corps had not worked in the military industry since Seto and Mokuba’s adoptive father was head of the company. That made her heart swell. She hated war. As a veteran herself, she never wanted to see the battlefield again. She would still wake up in the middle of the night, sweating at the images of dead bodies around her out in the middle of the desert. The fact that Seto refused to make military weapons, though he had the money and the means to, was just another positive in his box for her. 

She could admit that a couple more positives were added to the fact Seto was incredibly handsome. While she thought Mokuba was a cutie, Seto was…well he was a man. He was grown and held such a confidence about him that she couldn’t help but be attracted. “What’s up?” She finally asked Professor Maxfield. The older male looked up from his desk, up from whatever piece of paper had him in such a tizzy. 

His wise eyes found hers and she knew something big just happened. Rushing to his side around the office desk, she knew what it was. A check sat in front of him. Over the years they knew each other, he did not care about personal space. So she was able to lean right over him and read the unthinkable number of zeros on the ‘dollars’ line. A part of her, the cenacle part of her, thought it was a joke. Maxfield was often rather gullible, even with how intelligent he was. Let’s just say he was more books smart than street smart. 

But the signature on it, as well as the logo on the back of a small dragon, indicated it was the real thing. Whoever had sent this check in sent the student rec center one as well. And she had been there when the processed that one. It went through with no problems. 

“Who is Khal Drogo?” Maxfield asked, nearly causing her to bust out a laugh. It was weird hearing him ask that. She thought he was a Game of Thrones fan but apparently not. So she explained it to him, and explained what happened at the rec center as well. It made him paused, his sun tanned hand coming up to rub his chin. They stayed like that in the silence for a few more moments. His next words caused her brain to nearly stop. “Don’t you think it is odd that someone sent a check to the student rec center, where you work; and the anthropology department, where you are studying?”

Well when he put it like that, yeah, it did sound weird. “But who would?” She did not know anyone that had that much money. Hell, she barely knew anyone that was richer than her. The only person that she knew who was that wealthy was Mokuba. Yet that kid would just come out and give her the money. Or he would make a big show out of it. It was not like him to do things in the dark. 

Wait.

Mokuba.

Mokuba Kaiba.

Seto Kaiba’s little brother. 

Seto Kaiba who had more money than a small country. Seto Kaiba, who’s little brother was going to school with her; who was taking lessons of Krav Maga from her. “I know who sent it.” Was the last thing she said before rushing back out of the room and towards her car. Now she was on a mission.

~’~

She was putting her money into the parking machine when she looked up at the giant building about a block in front of her. Never, in all her time living in the city, had she gotten this close to the Kaiba Corps building. The thing was huge, towering over every other building in the business district. This late in the day, she was a little worried that Kaiba might have already left for home. The light of the sunset was casting everything on an orange and red glow, making his building look like a tower of flames. But she could not be intimdated by it. Not now, when she was on her mission.

So shouldering her satchel, she walked up the front steps. In the main lobby, quite a number of workers were still milling about. The place was as sleek and shiny as she was expecting though. A rather brilliant color pallet of stark white, silver, and a jewel blue. Kaiba’s choice? She wondered while stopping for a moment before making her way towards the front receptionist. Now here, some problems could arise. It was not like she expected to walk in and get a meeting with the CEO of a company out of nowhere. Reina had given her the receipt that she got from processing the check. It was sitting in her front pocket when she stopped at the desk. 

The woman clacking away at the computer was stunning. Her skin was pale, almost white. Her hair was a blonde mass pinned up at the top of her head in a bun. Like the rest of the room, her outfit was white and blue. It almost pissed her off how beautiful the woman was. And it only made her angrier with the woman’s reaction to her.

“Ugh hello.” She started.

A glare of sharp blue eyes. “Yes?”

How the hell was she supposed to start this conversation? Hello, I would like to speak with the elusive CEO of your company. I think he sent in checks to the college with the signature of Khal Drogo. Yeah right. Like she would believe her.

Suck it up, she screamed at herself. Now was not the time to lose her spine. She had been in a war zone. This was far easier. “I would like to speak with Mr. Kaiba.” Might as well and say it. 

The sharp laugh felt like a slap to the face. “Mr. Kaiba only speaks with people by appointment. I doubt you have one.” Well, the woman was not wrong. She definitely did not have an appointment. 

“I know Mokuba.” 

“Everyone and their best friend knows Mokuba m’am. Now if you would please leave the premises.” Ok, now she was just pissed off. She had not seen Kaiba since that day at the gym. It wasn’t like she asked for him to send the money. She really just wanted to know if it was indeed him as she speculated it to be. 

“Look lady.” Time to call in the big guns. She unlocked her phone and dialed the first number in the most recent list. Putting it on speaker, she placed it on the counter in front of her. The entire time, the secretary looked rather peeved. That is, until she heard the voice that came through the phone.

“Hey what’s up?” Mokuba asked. He always told her to just drop his name whenever she had a problem and this was the first time she was going to use it. The secretary looked like she had just been punched in the face.

“Sorry. I know you are in the library right now.”

“No problem! Anything for you darling!” Mokuba said with all his usual charm. 

“I needed to speak with your brother about something.” Now she knew Mokuba would be asking about that later. But right now, she just needed to get up there. Like she expected, Mokuba made a noise in the back of his throat.

“What? Well you gotta tell me what’s up later. Why did you call me though?” As he asked that question, the woman was handing her a ‘visitors’ pass with shaky hands. 

“I was just having some trouble finding the place, but now I got it. I will tell you about the meeting later.” She added, giving the woman a pointed glare as she ended the call. 

“It’s the top floor. You just have to swipe the badge.” Miss Blondie said as she walked away with a flippant wave. The elevator was just like the rest of the lobby, gleaming and clean. It made her feel a little out of place with her jeans, t-shirt, and tennis shoes. That was probably part of the reason the woman did not let her just stroll right on up. She looked five years younger and thousands of dollars poorer than she really was. No matter. The elevator was fast and dinged once it hit the top floor. Apparently the woman had called Seto’s assistant because the man who was about ten years older than her waved at her to go into the big door at the other side of the room. 

When she walked in, she felt even further out of place. Take the Kaiba Corps lobbies beauty, multiply it by ten, and you get Seto’s office. Pretty much all of the decorations were the same, but the giant wall of glass behind him cast the entire room in an orange glow from the sunset. 

Her thoughts were broken when Kaiba spoke up. “Please sit.” His voice was cordial. So she moved and took a spot in front of his desk. 

“I apologize if you were bus-“

“I had no meetings today and my assistant said you were headed up. I’m firing that woman at the front.” Ugh what? While he did not speak quickly, it was like the words flew right past her. She had to blink to get her bearings.

“Don’t fire her.” That received a raised eyebrow from Seto. “I understand why she did not let me up. Look how I’m dressed.” Seto glanced down before glancing back up to her face. “I just came here to ask you something though.” With that she pulled out the receipt from her pocket and placed it on the desk in front of Seto. His blue eyes looked down at it. 

“I see.”

“I was wondering about this Mr. Kaiba.”

“Seto.” 

“O-oh. Um. I was wondering about this… Seto. Did you send in this check?” 

Seto was silent for a moment, simply staring at the piece of paper in front of him. He did not speak and he did not move.

The sight of a tiny smile cracking on his lips was contagious. “I seem to have been found out.”

“Well. I know that you did it for your brother, but he is not the only one that uses that gym. So thank you.” And it was genuine. More than half of the population of the campus uses the rec center and his contribution was going to make it the nicest gym in the country perhaps. 

She stood and started towards the door, not catching the suddenly surprised look on Seto’s face. “Where are you going?”

“I only came here to confirm my suspicions and thank you for your contribution to the school.” Before he could say anything else, she slipped out of the room. 

It was actually a part of her plan. She wanted to leave and not bring up the other check to the anthropology department, knowing that if she figured out the check to the rec center, she would have figured that check out as well. 

Let him stew on why he did that, she thought to herself with a laugh while riding the elevator back down. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get it? Khal Drogo.   
> Get it?

**Author's Note:**

> So the ages are as follows-
> 
> Kaiba: 31  
> Yuugi: 30  
> Tea: 30  
> Joey: 30  
> Tristan: 31  
> Reader: 25  
> Mokuba: 23


End file.
